Best Indoor Houseplant For Beginners

Snake Plant - Houseplant

As an interior landscape technician, I get a lot of questions from people during the work day. Some want to know why their plant is not doing well. Others ask what the little bugs on their plant are and how to get rid of them. Some people want to know the best way to prune or propagate their houseplants.

Another common houseplant question is: What is the best houseplant to get if I have never had an indoor plant before?

That is one of the easiest questions to answer as it doesn't require finding out alot of other information. The answer to this question is undoubtably...The Snake Plant!

Snake plants are great indoor plants as they will tolerate an owner that doesn't pay them much attention. They will live in lower light but they will become thin and leggy over time if the light is not sufficient.

However, if you are one of those people that likes to water their plants everyday, you should not get a Snake plant! There are not many indoor plants that will last long with everyday watering!

Snake plants are known as Sansevieria. The long tall foliage looks something like a snake and that is no doubt where the name Snake plants come from. Another name is Mother-In-Law Tongue. Someone will have to explain that one to me.

Anyway, if you are looking for a houseplant that does not need a lot of attention, try a Snake plant. Read about Snake Plant care, Sansevieria houseplants...

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Pruning Mystery Plant - Dracaena Warneckii

Warneckii

A recent letter from a PlantAndFlowerInfo.com visitor:

"Hello. When I purchased this plant it was distressed and about 1 foot tall. It is now 7'2" tall. Is it a type of Dracaena? It's in an 18" pot. It does not have a woody looking stem. The leaves are 20" long, and are dark green down the center, with a small white stripe on each side of the dark green, and then a lighter colored green on the outside of the leaf. I would like to know the name of the plant. Can I cut it shorter? Can I plant the piece I cut off? Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Attached are 2 pictures - one is a full view and the other is a close-up of a leaf.Thank you very much. Hortie"

Close up of Dracanea Warneckii leaf

At first, I had not received the attached pictures and replied that it sounded like a Dracaena Warneckii. Eventually the pictures confirmed that it is a Dracaena Warneckii. 

Yes, you can cut or prune the stalks back to whatever height you would like. The plant will put out some new "heads" below the cut. The cut piece can be rooted in moist sand. You can cut into many pieces if you like and plant when the roots are a few inches long.
Dracaena Warneckii is a great indoor potted plant and requires little care. They really add a touch of color to any room. One of my favorite Dracaenas.
Read more about Dracaena Warneckii...

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Great Indoor Potted Plant - Decorate for the Holidays

Norfolk Island Pine

The Norfolk Island Pine is a versatile plant. It can be used as a unique indoor potted plant, a decorative focal point on your patio as a container plant and it is often decorated with miniature ornaments and used as a holiday tree.

Yes, the holidays are almost here. The poinsettias will soon be out and the Christmas trees and other holiday decorations will be showing up everywhere.
Time sure does fly! The 2014 holiday season is about to begin...

An evergreen tree native to Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean, the Norfolk Island Pine, or Araucaria heterophylla, is often used as an indoor live Christmas tree during the holiday season. We often give these out during the holidays to our great interior landscape customers. Read more about the Norfolk Island Pine...

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